The first week of the college basketball season already handed out a few ugly receipts, and the damage showed up fast for Dayton, Purdue and Oklahoma. These are the kinds of losses that don’t disappear just because the calendar is still young. They sit on a résumé all season, waiting to be judged come Selection Sunday.
Dayton’s stumble was the kind that will linger. Northern Illinois came in after losing to Grambling and carrying a kenpom ranking around 300, a team picked to finish near the bottom of the Horizon League.
That’s not the sort of opponent an Atlantic 10 program can afford to drop, but the Flyers did exactly that in an 81-76 overtime loss. Freshman wing Aiden Derkack tried to carry them with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the result still counts as a Quad 4 setback that Dayton will have to spend months trying to erase with better wins.
Purdue’s week started in a way that could have been lived with. Losing to Gonzaga was acceptable, and the Boilermakers arguably overachieved in that opener.
What happened next was the real problem. Back home against Valpo, Purdue let a winnable game slip away in an 83-80 overtime loss, one that qualifies as one of the worst regular season defeats of the Matt Painter era.
Rakim Chaney poured in 35 points, and the Boilermakers are now 0-2 with what looks like a Quad 3/4 loss already attached to the résumé. There’s still time to recover, but the question hanging over them is simple: are they good enough to make up for it?
Oklahoma’s damage came right out of the gate. The Sooners lost 68-64 at home to East Texas A&M in what was arguably the biggest result on opening night.
Even without leading scorer Xzayvier Brown, that’s a Quad 4 loss that shouldn’t happen, especially against a newer D-I program from the Southland Conference. The saving grace is the schedule ahead.
Being in the SEC gives Oklahoma plenty of chances to stack signature wins. But if the bubble picture gets tight, this one could be the mark that pushes them to the wrong side.
Kansas State also opened with a rough one, though the Wildcats at least steadied themselves afterward. The Coach Casey Alexander era began with a 68-66 home loss to South Dakota State, an early Quad 4 setback.
They bounced back with a 95-78 win over Cal State Northridge, but the blemish remains. Since Kansas State was picked to finish last in the Big 12, it may not end up mattering much in the bigger picture.
In Other News...
K-State Is Still Waiting On Timo Malovec For One Big Reason
Timo Malovecs absence has been one of the early storylines for Kansas State, but there is finally some optimism around the senior forward. He has missed the first two games because of an injury, yet coach Casey Alexander said Malovec is progressing well and is moving closer to a return after a setback in July. The good news for the Wildcats is that he has been back on the practice floor recently, which is usually the clearest sign a player is nearing game action.
What makes this situation worth watching is how quickly Malovec could matter once he is cleared. Alexander indicated the forward could slide into the rotation or even the starting lineup, giving Kansas State another experienced piece as the season settles in. For a team still sorting out its early-season rhythm, getting a veteran forward back in the mix would be a meaningful boost, even if the exact timing is still being worked out. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Is Making An Early Regional Recruiting Push
Kansas State is getting an early start on the next wave of recruiting, extending scholarship offers to a growing list of high school prospects across several states. One of the more notable names in that group is receiver Cyrus Johnson of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, a sign that the Wildcats are already working to build relationships well ahead of the 2028 to 2030 classes.
The broad reach of those offers shows how aggressively Kansas State is trying to plant flags in neighboring territory and beyond, with prospects from multiple states already on the board. It is still the opening stage of the process, but the pattern is clear: the Wildcats are not waiting around to see how the board develops, and the early attention could matter later if these recruits keep rising. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Klein Now Faces Kansas States Toughest Job Yet
Kansas States first season under Collin Klein has reached a difficult stretch, with the Wildcats now stuck in a three-game losing streak and the early momentum of the year giving way to frustration. The injury to the starting quarterback has only added to the strain, leaving the position unsettled and making it harder for the offense to find any rhythm as the conference race has slipped further out of reach.
Kleins challenge now is less about chasing a title and more about keeping the group engaged through the final weeks. For a team that entered the season with bigger ambitions, the task has shifted to preserving effort and focus, and making sure the slide does not carry over into the way this team finishes. [Read more 🡒]